Latinos are more upbeat about the direction of the country, which could help explain their support for Barack Obama. Also, Latinos are more content with the country’s direction. More than half of Latinos say they are happy with where the country is going, compared to 31 percent of all Americans.
The gap between Latinos and the rest of the general public has increased since 2008, when only one in four said they were happy with the country’s direction, while 19 percent of the general public said the same.
According to the new survey, Latinos are not only satisfied with the country’s direction but are also more optimistic about the future of their family’s money for the next year. Almost three out of four expected improvement, compared to 67 percent in 2011.
Latinos are happier about their finances, regardless of an increase in their unemployment rate in October, according to a recent Pew Hispanic Center Study. The study found that 33 percent of Latinos say their finances are in “excellent” or “good” condition. That’s up by 24 percent since 2011. Still, Latinos lag behind most Americans. Forty-three percent of the general public say that their personal finances are in “excellent” or “good” condition.
Latinos born in the United States have a better take on their finances. Four in ten U.S.-born Latinos say that their finances are “excellent” or “good,” compared to 27 percent of foreign-born Latinos.
Educated Latinos comprise the biggest difference in statistics. Eighty-five percent of Latinos without a high school diploma said their finances were “only fair” or “poor.” Hispanics who have a high school diploma but no college degree responded the same 64 percent of the time.
